Let’s examine the alignment in the elbow joint. The thing to look for in students is whether there is a natural hyperextension or hypermobility in the joint. This is whether the joint goes past 180 degrees.
The conclusion based upon the following yin yoga newsletter is that it is not unhealthy or wrong for a student to lock out the elbow in any given posture. The guiding principle would be pain, and then the answer is – no. Otherwise – locking out is fine, even in the case of a hyperextended elbow joint.
yin yoga newsletter about elbow hyperextension
Some helpful links about yoga and the elbow:
Elbow